Who Will Prosper on the Path to Prosperity?

As the fight about to where to cut spending in the 2012 budget looms on the horizon, members of Congress, mainly Republicans from the far right, have targeted entitlements as the main reason our debt is so high. Fiscal hawks believe that cutting social service programs like Planned Parenthood, food stamps, Head Start and Medicare can balance the budget.

Rep. Paul Ryan’s Path to Prosperity is the Republicans’ talking point. But, in the end, who is going to prosper? This right wing fantasy about dealing with our national debt is nothing more than corporate thievery. I would call it “Robbing Hood” economics--stealing from the poor so the wealthy can go to Aspen.

This philosophy of throwing the poor out on their fannies so they get a job seems to appeal to the Southern and Midwest conservatives. You would think that those who want to cut entitlements would also be for ending the tax loopholes and benefits that allow Wall Street to keep stealing money from America. But there seems to be little outrage among conservative voters on our corporate entitlements.

Politicians should look at Washington, DC as the emblem for what happens when you cut aid to the poor and vulnerable. No one wins by cutting social services. There are 12,000 homeless people in the Washington area, according to the most recent figures from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. When you close shelters, cut social services for the mentally ill, and when poor children can’t get a decent education, the city suffers.

Did our nation’s capital benefit from closing Franklin Shelter back in October 2008? Exactly the opposite happened--instead of disappearing, homeless people made Franklin Park their new place of residency. By closing St. Elizabeth’s we now have more mentally ill individuals walking the streets, unable to take care of themselves.

This “throw the bums out” philosophy has negative ramifications for everyone. The homeless find shelter and will do what it takes to survive. Crime rises because people are desperate and have no source of income. Property values deteriorate because no one wants to live in areas with high rates of homelessness or crime. Businesses may lose profits because of loiterers and people panhandling.

Entitlements should be reformed rather than abolished, because without them there will be more negative results than positive ones.